Driver’s Dad: Son Thankful To Be Alive After 150-Foot Plunge Near Folsom Dam

ROSEVILLE (CBS13) — The father of a driver who plunged 150 feet down an embankment to the base of Folsom Dam found his son’s truck with an iPhone app that led him to the accident scene.

Chris McGuigan drove his pickup truck over a cliff near Folsom Dam and survived. He has a broken leg, four broken ribs and various internal injuries.

His father, Perry, said when Chris didn’t show, he used an app on his iPhone that can track the location of other iPhone users.

“We were waiting for him for work this morning, and he didn’t show up, and my son’s never late.”

Perry said the Find My Friends app showed his son along Folsom Lake Crossing.

“‘Oh, he’s taking a picture no big deal.’ And then it still says he was there 20 minutes later and I said, ‘Oh he must be broke down or something.’”

Perry went in search of his son and found the crash scene, but Chris had already been rushed to the hospital.

Police say Chris his truck plunged at least 150 feet down a cliff, bouncing and flipping all the way down, eventually splitting the truck in two.

“From what I’ve seen of that truck, which is nothing left, yeah I’m amazed.”

Police say construction workers were working close by and they rushed to help Chris out of the truck.

“That’s a 150-foot cliff and it went all the way down and rolled past the cliff and almost hit the gas tank they had down there. The lady here said if he would have hit that, I guess the place would have blown up.”

Chris has several injuries that will take some time to recover from, but Perry says his son is focused on counting his blessings.

“He’s alive, and that’s what we’re thankful for.”

At this point, police don’t believe Chris was on the phone or under the influence at the time of the crash.